Romulus Moore Congressional Testimony

Date: 28 Oct 1871 [unknown]
Location: Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia, United States
Surname/tag: Moore Slavery Black Heritage Reconstruction Civil-Rights

Congressional Testimony

See Romulus Moore

Begins on page 735 Report of the Joint Select Committee Appointed to Inquire in to the

CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES

GEORGIA - SUB - COMMITTEE

TESTIMONY TAKEN BY THE JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE TO INQUIRE INTO THE CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN THE LATE INSURRECTIONARY STATES.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, October 28, 1871. ROMULUS MOORE ( colored ) sworn and examined .

By the CHAIRMAN :

Question. What your age, where were you born , and where do you now live ?

Answer. I will be fifty - three years old on the 17th day of next December; I was born in Taliaferro County, Georgia ; and I now live in Atlanta.

Question . What is your proper home ?

Answer. My proper home is in Columbia County.

Question. In what place ?

Answer. About a mile from Thomson, on the Georgia railroad.

Question . Were you born a slave or a free man ?

Answer. I was born a slave. :Question. When did you become free ?

Answer. In January, 1858.

Question. In what way ?

Answer. I was sold at the division of my old master's estate, and I bought myself.

Question .Have you been living as a free man since that time ?

Answer . Yes, sir.

Question .Where were you during the war ?

Answer. I was in Columbia County.

Question. What were you doing ?

Answer. Blacksmithing.

Question . How have you been engaged since the war ?

Answer. Since the war, part of the time I have been blacksmithing, and part of the time I helped to reconstruct the State.

Question. What did you do?

Answer. I was selected at first as one of the most competent for registrar; after that I was nominated and elected to the constitutional convention; and after that I was elected by the same people to represent the county in the legislature.

Question. In what branch.

Answer. In the lower branch .

Question. Where were you from the time your people were expelled from the legislature until you were restored to your seat?

Answer. I was the best part of that time in Atlanta.

Question . Since the adjournment of the legislature where have you been ?

Answer. Part of the time I was at Crawfordsville, Taliaferro County, and part of the time in Atlanta.

Question . You say you were employed as a registrar ?

Answer. Yes, sir .

Question . Why did they select a colored man, and not a white man ?

Answer. The order was to have two white men and one colored man.

Question . And you were selected for the colored man ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question . Who were the white men ?

Answer. Mr. James Anthony, from Columbia County, and Mr. Gilbert, from Wilkes County. Wilkes, Lincoln, and Columbia Counties were put into one registration district.

Question. What is the proportion of colored and white population in Columbia County ?

Answer. When the first registration was made, there were 600 whites and about 1,800 colored .

Question. Was that a full registration of all the voters ?

Answer. At that time it was tolerably full ; it was all that we could get. At the second registration I think there was about the same proportion, three to one. There were a great many whites that did not register at all.

Question . Why not ?

Answer. Well, they would not bother themselves about it ; they did not want to take any part in reconstruction.

Question . Why was that, do you think ?

Answer. I think it was at Mr. Stephens's request. He is pretty much of a leader among them in that low country. I know he told me that he advised his people not to have anything to do with reconstruction.

Question. To what Mr. Stephens do you refer ?

Answer. Alexander H. Stephens.

Question. Are you acquainted with him ?

Answer. I am ; I was born and raised right in his county.

Question. He told you that his advice to his people was to have nothing to do with reconstruction ?

Answer. That is what he told me.

Question. Did he tell you his reason for that ?

Answer. No, sir ; he did not state .

Question. State whether you were, at any time, personally interrupted , or in any way molested .

Answer. I was.

Question. State when, where, and by whom.

Answer. I disremember the exact date ; I could tell by looking at some of my papers. It was in July, 1868, when there was to be a democratic mass-meeting in Atlanta. We were then in the legislature here. We adjourned over on Friday night, to attend the mass meeting, which was to be on Monday. I concluded that would be a good chance to see my family, and I got on a freight-train on the Georgia railroad, which would land me at home the next morning, Saturday morning, about sunrise . When I got home on Saturday morning, the Ku-Klux had visited our little town of Thomson, and had beaten a friend of mine pretty severely ; he was then in his bed.

Question. Was he white or black ?

Answer. He was a colored man. I went to see him, and went on home ; I lived about a mile from Thomson . That night they visited my house.

Question . What did they do ?

Answer. They abused me considerably for my political principles and my misleading the colored people, as they said. They were very well armed ,had pistols, shot -guns, & c.; but they did not disturb me personally. I suppose it was only the great Creator that kept them from it . I prayed pretty earnestly ; I was the pastor of a church in my county. I was in my house sitting back against my fire-place, reading my Bible. They came to the door, with a kind of war -whoop, expecting that I would run ; I did not, and they came into the door. I knew pretty well who they were, and I said, “ Come in, gentlemen .” A whole parcel came in and commenced cursing and abusing I talked very kindly to them . They accused me of raising the disturbance . The question they asked when they came in was, “ What's all this fuss about ? " I said, " Gentlemen, what fuss do you have reference to ?” They said, “ There is a great fuss in the settlement; they say you are the cause of it. ” I said, “ I can't see how you can say that, for you all know I came from Atlanta this morning ; you saw me when I got of the train ; this is my first visit home for several months ; I don't see how you can say I raised any disturbance here." They said, " From your political course heretofore.” I said ," You know my principles; I am willing to proclaim my principles. I canvassed this district, and you know what I was; and I thought that was my privilege ; I know this ; you all know me personally, and I sustain as good a character as any colored man in this country. ” . They said, “ Yes, we have nothing against you in the world only that you mislead your people.” They gave me to understand that I should not control my people politically . I said that of course if I could not control them , if my life had to be in jeopardy in consequence of it, I should let it alone. They finally told me they did not come to hurt me. They talked a great deal, and said , “ We didn't come to hurt you to-night ; we haven't got on our grave clothes.” I said , “ I don't suppose you would hurt me, because I have not done anything for you to hurt me for. ” That was on Saturday night. On Sunday I received a letter from some of my friends, not to stay in the house, because they were going to visit me again . I will now give you the reasons why it was thought they would visit me again . When I returned home the next day, they beat the old servant of a widow lady, Mrs. Richards. As I was informed, she observed to them the next day, “ You have beaten my old servant nearly to death , and Romulus you have let alone.” They said , “ We will go and see him to-night.” That is the reason why I received the note that they were coming again the next night. I lay out that night, but they did not come. Monday evening I left. A week after I left, they visited my house again in disguise. My wife was teaching school at the place where I lived. A colored man and myself had a little place that we owned together. He bought the place, and I built a house on it ; and we were living there comfortably and quietly, as we thought. My wife got up a little school there ; and they visited her, and informed her that she could not teach school there. They went on down a little further. and beat another colored man pretty severely. She wrote me word of it. She had to write me notes, just write them and leave them open , and send them up by the railroad ; for we could not get a letter through the post-office, for they were liable to be broken open. I used to send for her to meet me at Crawfordsville ; I think that twice during that time I met her there. I remained in Atlanta, and went backward and forward from Atlanta . My father and mother lived at Crawfordsville ; my father was living at that time ; that was in 1868. In 1869, I think, the legislature convened. I was out at that time. Mr. Adkins was in the legislature, and when the legislature adjourned , he went from here to Washington. '

Question. In which branch was he ?

Answer. In the senate. He was warned by his friends not to go home. He went to Washington, and when he returned to Augusta, his wife met him there. He was one of the best men I ever saw ; I thought he was as good a Christian as ever lived. He was frequently in the prison , and in other places where his prayers were needed. During the constitutional convention we had prayer-meetings, a portion of us, sometimes during the week. His wife met him in Augusta. She went to her home, and was to meet him at Dearing, on the Georgia Railroad, where I had lived. She left her buggy and horse at Dearing, as well as my memory serves me. On Monday morning they came up from Augusta to go to his home, about eight miles off. When he got to Dearing - I suppose about 9 o'clock in the morning - twenty -seven miles from Augusta, he and his wife got off to go home. There, I suppose, he met as bad a parcel of white men as there is anywhere ; I do not suppose the world produces as bad men as there are in that place. Some of his friends told him it would be dangerous for him to go home, but he told them he would risk it. Before he concluded to go home, he concluded to get on the train and go back up the road, but they refused to let him do it. He was left there

Question . Who refused to do it ?

Answer. Those rowdies that were at that place. They just interfered , and took off his horse and buggy where he could not get hold of them . He and his wife were there without any friends. He concluded to walk , leaving his wife to get his buggy. After he had gone from there a little while, they let his wife have his buggy, and she went on after him . But before she got to him they had killed him ; a couple of men went on after him and killed him.

Question . Do you know who killed him ?

Answer. I have heard. I keep a public house here, and I hear a great deal of what has taken place from persons who come up here. After they killed Adkins, they visited my wife that night in disguise, broke down my doors, and went to my wife and asked for Romulus. They said that Adkins was dead, and they wanted to carry me to Dearing. She said, “ Who?” They said, “ Romulus ; Adkins is dead, and we want to carry him to the burial.” She said , “ He isn't here ; he is in Atlanta ." Then they shot off about twenty guns, and disturbed the black ones a great deal. She informed me the next day, and I wrote her to sell out her things as quick as she could, and come to Atlanta . She did so, and we have remained here ever since.

Question. You have not been back there since?

Answer. No, sir.

Question . Who were those men who came to your house the first time ? :Answer. Mr. James Wilson, and Mr. Shephard Wright - I do not remember his middle name— and Mr. George Stoball , now elected a member of the legislature from McDuffie County, which has been made out of that county, and Thomas Steed. Those men cannot deny they were there. There was a young fellow there named Thomas Scott, and there were several others there I did not know. I knew as many as half a dozen of them, but the others I did not know .

Question. Who was this neighbor of yours they had whipped the night before?

Answer. Tom Richards.

Question. What had they whipped him for ?

Answer. Ah ! Lord knows; I cannot tell you .

Question. Had he been a leading man among the colored people there ?

Answer. Well, he had not been particularly leading, but he had done a great deal for the convention, telling the people about it ; and he was a very smart man ,too.

Question. What sort of an election did you have there in 1868, for President ?

Answer. I was not there, but I am satisfied I am correctly informed about it ; Mr. Josiah Sherman, senator from that district , informed me. Columbia, Wilkes, and Lincoln Counties constituted the senatorial district. He said they had great difficulty in getting republican votes for the republicans in that county. The party got some soldiers, that were going up to protect the election , to carry some republican tickets to a prominent colored man , and they gave them to this colored man . The democratic party did not suppose there was a radical ticket in the county . This colored man came to the polls and distributed one of those tickets. They arrested him and demanded where he got it ; and he said the soldiers gave it to him . They took the rest from him, and armed themselves, about a hundred of them , and went down to the camp, and demanded what right the soldiers had to issue tickets to the negroes. They said to them that their business was to keep the election quiet, and not to issue tickets. That demoralized the colored people, and there was no more voting for them . We know that was the only republican ticket cast in the county.

Question . That was the only vote that General Grant got ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question . You were credibly informed that this occurred as you have stated ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question . How was the election last winter ?

Answer. I am not able to inform you how it was ; but I do not suppose there were many republican votes cast in the county.

Question. How many republican votes and how many democratic votes are there in that county, if the people were all free to vote their sentiments ?

Answer. I will give you the truth according to the best of my judgment. As I told you before, when I registered the county there were about 1,800 colored votes there, and the principal part of them were republicans; there were but very few that were not republicans. We registered the second time, and , as well as my memory serves me, I think we registered about 900 colored votes, and about 300 white votes, about three to one . There were about 600 white votes registered the first time . I think there were between 30 and 40 white republicans. I and Mr. Anthony both tried to find out how many white republicans there were in the county ; and our estimate was that there were only some forty odd.

Question. Do you suppose the proportion of democratic colored men would be about the same as of white republicans ?

Answer. Just about.

Question. There were some colored democrats ?

Answer. Yes, sir ; and we could always tell them very well, because they would not mix with us at all. I think there were about 40 or 45 ; not more than that .

Question . You were in Washington some time last year ?

Answer. I was.

Question . Why were you there ?

Answer . We were on there to try, if possible, to defeat what was known as the Bingham amendment.

Question . You went there as a member of a committee ?

Answer' . Yes, sir.

Question . Why did your people wish to have that amendment defeated ?

Answer. We knew that if it was passed it would fasten upon us a law in Georgia that would be against our interests ; that was one of the main reasons.

Question . What has been the effect and operation of the Bingham amendment ?

Answer , I think has produced some effect. I think if that amendment had passed we would have been in a worse condition ; we are in a bad condition now , any way ; but then we would have been in a worse condition entirely in regard to 'legislative matters.

Question. Why have you not gone down to your old home and prosecuted these people?

Answer. I was satisfied that I could not get justice in any court we might prosecute in there.

Question. You have spoken of disguised men who came to your house; were they what are called Ku -Klux ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question . What do you know of that organization in that county and elsewhere in this State ?

Answer. Well, I have reason to believe that there is a large organization existing in this State, from what I have heard from colored men who have been at my house , and from colored men I have seen beat up ; not only colored men, but white men, and not only beat, but killed. I am here at headquarters, and that is one of the great reasons I was afraid to go home ; I knew such an organization existed in my county.

Question. What is the object of that organization ?

Answer. To control the colored votes. They said to me that night, " You think that you negroes and radicals are going to control this country ; but white men at the North, the aristocracy of the North, have always controlled the poorer classes of people, and we intend to do it here." I am satisfied the object is to keep the colored people in subjection. I know very well there has always been a patrol law in this country; and this is the same, only in a worse form . While we had masters then that would protect us, and not suffer them to abuse us beyond the law, this is turned loose without any restraint at all ; they do as they please. I went to Louisiana, as one of the leaders of my people, to look for lands and see if we could not be better protected there, as Ku-Kluxing was so bad here. Just before we were reinstated in the legislature I went to Louisiana and examined the country to see if we could not find a more quiet country than this, and if we could, to get means to go there ; to get some gentlemen to help us with money. We calculated to collect a large body of colored people and go on some land there. But Congress passed an act to reseat us. When I returned home I met one of those gentlemen who had visited my house that night; I met him in the street here. He said he was glad to see me, shaking my hand heartily. I said to him , " Captain , do you think I could go home and stay there peacably ?" He said, " I think so.” I said , “ I doubt it very much ." I then said, “ I am happy to say that I am just from New Orleans; my business there was to get means and lands for our people; they are looking to me, if possible, to do something for them in their situation , for I had better means than they; I have found means and money and land , and men who told me they are willing to furnish their money by the thousand if I will get up immigration to cultivate their lands." I said, “ I believe we can be successful there . Now, let me tell you that this Ku Kluxing arrangement you have got up for political purposes will injure you financially ; you will drive all the labor out of the country. You know that the colored people are the most successful laborers you can get, and yet you encourage a class of people to assist in Kul Kluxing them .” I said to him , “ I have the proof of that ; there is a man just before us who inherited 10,000 acres of land from his uncle. He settled it up by colored people principally; that is, got them on it, and they were farming successfully. These poorer men said that Battle should not settle the best of his land with negroes, and deprive them of it , when they had the right to occupy it, and they commenced Ku -Kluxing. Now , you go to Mr. Battle and he will tell you so . You will drive the colored men out of the country, and it will leave your land worthless. " He agreed with me, and I said , “ You know that Ku-Kluxing was for political purposes ; you know that I know it ; you don't think of the financial operation of it. You know that a dozen persons have gone out of that county since this Ku- Kluxing commenced. You gentlemen who own the land never thought about that thing." He acknowledged to me that he had not thought about it ; that they were so anxious to control them politically that they forgot entirely their great interest pecuniarily. I said to him , “ Inasmuch as we are restored back to our seats in the legislature, and our rights will be guaranteed to us in the State, we will try it a little longer and see if it will be any better in this State." These men, what we used to call patrols, had got such a hold that they could not do anything with them . Those men who had started it could not stop it when they tried to stop it. They threatened such men as Mr. Holliday down here . They are opposed to the colored men occupying a piece of this land ; that is one of the main reasons for this Klu- Kluxing. I know this thing ; I have examined it well.

Question. How do you think your people feel, that is, the portion of the people that went willingly and heartily into the rebellion , about the thirteenth amendment ; are they willing to let that stand ?

Answer. Well, I do not know ; I cannot say . They say they are willing to let it stand. But I can simply say to you that Mr. Davis , when he passed through Atlanta a short time ago, made a little speech at the Kimball House; so I was told. I think he told the younger generation to still be in hopes ; that the time would come when probably their rights would be restored to them.

Question. What did he mean by that ?

Answer. My judgment was that he meant that the property which had been taken out of their hands would be restored.

Question. Negro property ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question . In other words, that the negroes would be restored to slavery ?

Answer. We do not know what else it means, unless it means that.

Question . What is their feeling in regard to the other amendments, those that give to the colored men their civil and political rights ?

Answer. You can see the course advocated by Mr. Stephens in the Sun.

Question . Have you ever had any conversation with Mr. Stephens on that subject ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What does he say about your people voting ?

Answer. I disremember exactly what he said about that. He spoke a great deal about their incapability.

Question. Did you use to see him during rebel times when he was vice -president of the southern confederacy ?

Answer . Yes, sir. I used to pass up and down the Georgia railroad ; I used frequently to visit the people I formerly belonged to. I got them to buy me, because colored people could not hold any property. On one occasion I came down with Mr. Stephens just after they had broken up at Montgomery, Alabama, where they first established their headquarters. I was with him on the train when we got to Thompson , near where I lived . They were mustering a company there then. Some of them whispered about that Mr. Stephens, vice-president of the southern confederacy, was on the train. One gentleman came in and begged him to say something to the people. He would have declined, but they insisted upon it. I never shall forget what he said.

Question. What was it ?

Answer . He said : “ Fellow - citizens, I am glad to meet you armed and equipped as you are; . I am happy to say to you that though Virginia is said to be out, I say she is in, ( that is, in the southern confederacy. ) I am glad to meet you armed and equipped as you are ; we will have use for you in a few days."

Question . The question I wanted to ask of you was, ( and I want your opinion about it, because you represent one class of the people here, ) whether you believe that the men who went into the rebellion and attempted to establish the southern confederacy, if they had the power would give you your liberty, and with it your civil and political rights ?

Answer. I do not think they would, I am as well satisfied of that as that I am living. I speak that conscientiously, in the presence of my God. Question . Is that the general belief of your people ?

Answer. Yes, sir, it is ; I am satisfied of that, because it is said that actions speak louder than words.

By Mr. BAYARD :

Question. You have been asked about Mr. Stephens. The speech of Mr. Stephens to which you refer was during the war, in 1861 ?

Answer. I disremember exactly the year, but I know it was after they moved from Montgomerey.

Question . At the time of the removal of the confederate capital from Montgomery to Richmond ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. The visit to your house first was by a party of men who came rudely into your house, without disguises ; that was in 1868, in the month of July ?

Answer. I think it was in July.

Question. The assault on your house was subsequent to that; about how long after that ?

Answer. About a week.

Question. You were informed that they were then disguised ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. You were not present then ?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. You have not seen a band of men disguised ?

Answer. No, sir. Question. Your statements about them are from statements and rumors from other people ?

Answer. Yes, sir ; I have seen their effects, that is all.

Question . You have described your duties; you were a registrar and a member of the legislature ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Who was elected with you in 1868 ?

Answer. Mr. Josiah Sherman.

Question . Was he a white man ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Who were elected at the next election in 1870 ?

Answer. We were elected to the constitutional convention , and then there was an election for members of the legislature.

Question . You were elected to the convention ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. How many black people were in that convention ?

Answer. Thirty -two or thirty -three.

Question. And about the same number in the legislature ?

Answer. I think there were probably one or two more.

Question. How many are there in the present legislature, the one that is to convene next week ?

Answer. I am told that there are about twenty.

Question. Who are the representatives from Columbia in the coming legislature ?

Answer I think one Mr. Lamkin was elected from that county, and that Mr. George Stoball was elected from McDuffie County, which was taken from that county. Mr. Lamkin represents Columbia, the county I represented, and Mr. Stoball represents McDuffie County:

Question . Are they both white men ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question . You keep a public house in town here ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question . What is its name ?

Answer. I call it Willingham Building.

Question . It is a house of public entertainment for people of your own color ?

Answer . Yes, sir.

Question . None others frequent it ?

Answer. I do not turn off anybody else that comes.

Question . It is kept by you for colored people ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Of what denomination are you a minister ?

Answer. The Baptist denomination.

Question . Do you continue to preach ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Of what church are you pastor ?

Answer. I have never been dismissed as pastor of the church in Columbia County. When I left my county my credentials still remained in the church, but I preach here in town .

Question . Have you been continuing these two avocations in this town since 1868 ?

Answer. Yes, sir .

Question. You spoke of the canvass in your county for the legislature. Did you make public speeches in that canvass ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question . And expressed your political views ?

Answer. I did.

Question . Were you interfered with at all ?

Answer. No, sir, not at all. The military were over there then, and of course we had good protection .

Question. You have had soldiers since that time-at the last election !

Answer. Yes, sir ; we have not had an election without soldiers.

Question. You said that the troops carried down with them the ballots for the republican voters ?

Answer . Yes, sir, the republican tickets.

Question . When you first registered that county , what were the number of voters registered ?

Answer. About eighteen hundred colored and six hundred white.

Question. What was the next registration ?

Answer. About nine hundred colored, and about three hundred white.

Question. What caused that diminution of one half in the number of voters ?

Answer. The last registration only took in those that came of age since the first registration .

Question . That was an additional registration ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. The vote had increased that much ?

Answer . Yes, sir.

Question. The white people increased three hundred votes, and the colored people nine hundred votes ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Who made that registration ?

Answer. I made it. Our term did not expire until the second registration was made.

Question. You were asked in regard to the ratification of the thirteenth amendment abolishing slavery. Are you not aware that Georgia ratified that amendment freely ?

Answer. I know Georgia ratified it.

Question. You were asked whether you thought the people of this State would abide by that ?

Answer. Yes, sir ; and whether I thought they really approved it.

By the CHAIRMAN :

Question . I limited my question to those who had been in the rebellion .

Answer. Yes, sir ; that is the way I understood it.

By Mr. BAYARD :

Question. Did not all the people of this State very generally take part on the southern side in the late war ?

Answer. Yes, sir ; it was a general thing:

Question . It was a movement of the whole people of the State ?

Answer. Yes, sir, excepting a very few . There were some few good Union men. A great many men were forced into it.

Question . You have spoken of a speech of Mr. Davis. Did you hear him make it ?

Answer. I did not hear it, and I said so ; but I saw it in print, and I heard it spoken of afterwards.

Question . On the basis of that speech, you consider that the nullification of the thirteenth amendment was threatened ?

Answer . That was my understanding of it.

Question . It is upon that basis that you make your statement now as to the disposition, on the part of the people of Georgia, to nullify it if in their power ?

Answer. I thought that, inasmuch as he had been a leader of the people, he would probably like to try to lead again .

Question. That was the foundation of that opinion ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. When was Mr. Adkins killed ?

Answer. As well as my memory serves me, I think he was killed in the spring - well, I cannot tell. It was after we were expelled from the legislature, in 1868 ; and I think Mr. Adkins was killed in the spring of 1869, as well as my memory serves me.

Question .You considered him a very good man ?

Answer. I did think so ; I did, indeed .

Question. Were You aware that there were letters in existence at that time, from Mr. Adkins, making dishonorable proposals to a lady who had visited his family ?

Answer. I did hear that, but I could not credit it .

Question. You had no knowledge of that fact at the time you formed your opinion ?

Answer. No, sir. I was with Mr. Adkins at prayer -meetings, and was with him frequently otherwise.

Question . Was he a preacher ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question . Of the same denomination as yourself ?

Answer. No, sir ; he belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church. I came to the conclusion that he was a good man, and that if they killed as good a man as he, I could not risk myself. I had every confidence in that man ; I did, indeed. There may be letters in existence such as you speak of ; I have heard such reports ; but I could not positively believe it. I saw the man here while in the convention . He frequently would go to the jail and advise with the prisoners and pray with them . He met with us in prayer -meetings. It is not possible that the man should have been such a devil as that. I do not think it is true, though it may be.

By Mr. SCOFIELD :

Question. Do not these people almost always get up some such excuse when they injure any one ?

Answer . Yes, sir.

Question . And telegraph it to the North ?

Answer . No doubt of it. I think Mr. Adkins was as good a man as ever lived.

By Mr. BAYARD :

Question. Are you aware that credible gentlemen from this State have stated on their oaths that they have examined those letters, and know that they do exist ?

Answer. No, sir,

By the CHAIRMAN :

Question. Have any such letters ever been produced and published !

Answer. Not to my knowledge.

Question. He was killed more than two years ago ?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. And his being killed produced a great sensation throughout this country, and was very bitterly denounced by his friends !

Answer. O, yes, sir.

Question . Do you believe that if there had been any such letters in existence they would have been kept secret, and not published long ago ? Answer . I am satisfied they would not have been. I have the utmost confidence in that man .

Question. Let me ask another question : Whether men who are concerned in these outrages are not men , some of them , who claim to be of very high standing ?

Answer. No doubt of it.

Question. Would the men who were concerned in killing him be any too good to blacken his memory after his death ?

Answer . Certainly not. The colored people have told me the name of the man who killed Adkins; they came upon an excursion right out of that country, and stopped at my house . He is a man of as high standing as there is in Columbia County.

By Mr. BAYARD :

Question. You say you were raised by respectable people, and have always lived among respectable people ?

Answer . I have.

Question . I will ask you whether among respectable people, white or colored, it would be considered usual, or even possible, for letters of an insulting character to a lady to be published at all ; whether they would publish insults of that kind, or whether they would keep them to themselves, unless they meant to act on them ?

Answer. I will answer that question by saying that a few days ago a young lady who was disgraced, a little below here in our town

Question. In what town ?

Answer . Decatur, in De Kalb .

Question . A white lady ?

Answer. Yes, sir. A young lady was disgraced, six miles from here, and the whole transaction was published .

Question . She was ravished by whom ?

Answer. She was taken advantage of by a minister; that was published .

Question. That is the way you answer my question ?

Answer . Yes, sir.